DJ Akademiks called Kendrick Lamar “lazy” in September 2026. Lamar’s last solo album, GNX, came out on November 22, 2024, so he is approaching 2 years without another.
Taking longer doesn’t automatically mean making better music. Fans can respect an artist’s reasons for taking time and still question what the wait adds.
Lamar previously went just over 5 years between DAMN. in 2017 and Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022. GNX followed about 2.5 years later. During the earlier gap, he told Baby Keem in 2020, “I spend the whole year just thinking about how I’m gonna execute a new sound.” He wanted each album to offer something different instead of repeating what had already worked.
That ambition can also create pressure. If every album has to mark a major artistic change, finishing and releasing one can become harder. There is value in trying an idea, putting it out, and moving on without making every project a defining statement.
Lamar has also described a more personal obstacle to releasing Mr. Morale. In a 2022 interview with W, he said he had held back personal writing until he felt secure enough to share it. Even after finishing the album, he considered keeping it unreleased. Thinking about what it might offer his children when they were older helped persuade him to release it.
The wait can also change how listeners receive the music. Some may move on. Others may imagine a comeback so significant that even a good album feels disappointing. The record arrives carrying the expectation that it must justify the years spent waiting.
An album gap also leaves out much of an artist’s work. Between DAMN. and Mr. Morale, Lamar contributed to the Black Panther soundtrack and released “Family Ties” with Baby Keem. Since GNX, he has performed at the 2025 Super Bowl, toured stadiums with SZA, and appeared on Jhené Aiko’s “So Good” in September 2026.
Performing and recording are both work. Listeners can appreciate the shows and still want more new music. They can criticize how much an artist releases without claiming to know how hard he works.
Lamar also drew a substantial audience after the 5-year gap. His 73 reported tour shows in 2022 grossed about $111 million. That shows strong demand for his return, though it doesn’t establish whether the wait made the music better.
An album can sell well and still leave listeners wanting more. An artist can have understandable reasons for releasing less without that choice making the work more ambitious, more thoughtful, or more deserving of praise.